Wednesday, 24 August 2016

I have been a lover of the original La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo for as long as I can remember. Since it was first released there has been many variations of this product and today I want to share with you their latest version; La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+) Unifiant.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+) Unifiant has a sheer tint of colour and like the other products in the Effaclar range it helps to combat inflammation, reduces redness and the size of blemishes. It is designed to unify and even out your complexion rather than cover anything.
The product itself is light in texture and sinks straight into your skin. It feels very comfortable and great to apply just before your foundation.
Shade-wise, I have the lightest of the two shades fair/light, which I feel suits my skin tone perfectly.
This is now an absolute staple in my everyday skincare routine.

Monday, 22 August 2016

Today I thought I would share with you my top 5 makeup products that I use on a regular basis and the best thing is, they all cost under FIVE POUNDS!

Makeup Revolution Pro Fix Fixing Spray - £5 // This is such a lovely setting spray to use after you have applied all your makeup and you want it to last longer. Lately I have started to use it to dampen my beauty sponge before applying my foundation. I have noticed such a difference in my makeup and it's definitely a staple in my makeup bag.Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19 // I think this concealer has to be my all time favourite! I would say it's a medium to high coverage concealer and it covers my under eye circles and blemishes like a dream, without caking. I have repurchased this concealer many times now and will continue to do so.NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie - £5 // This lip gloss is the newest in my everyday routine but I just can't get enough of it. It smells amazing and the colour is a gorgeous dusky pink which I think would suit any skin tone.Collection Primed & Ready Primer - £3.99 // I love a good primer and this one doesn't disappoint. It's a silicone based primer and leaves my skin feeling really smooth. Collection have teamed up with Witch for this primer, so not only does it make your makeup last longer, it's infused with witch hazel to help keep your skin blemish free.MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter - £3 // Everyone loves a good highlighter, right? This one from MUA is gorgeous. It's a pink shimmer highlighter which is perfect to create a healthy radiant glow.

Sunday, 21 August 2016

Sleek Highlighting Palette in Solstice // I have been on the highlighter hype recently and when I saw this in my local boots, I knew I had to pick it up. The shades are super pigmented and look amazing on the cheek bones.

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk // I can't get enough of this lipstick from the new Urban Decay Vice collection. It's a gorgeous nude pink with incredible staying power. You can read about the other lipsticks in the collection here.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation // This is my go to foundation at the moment. I find it gives me the right amount of coverage and is long wearing. My skin always glows after using it.

JoJo - F***k Apologies // I love JoJo when she first released a song and I'm super excited that shes back. I can't get this song out of my head!

Lush - The Comforter Bubble Bar // This well always be a favourite of mine. I just can't get enough of the blackcurrant scent and the amount of bubbles it makes!

Saturday, 20 August 2016

There has been a lot of hype around the Urban Decay Vice lipsticks that were released recently. Mainly because they were releasing 100 different lipsticks in different formulas. The company Feel Unique were holiday a giveaway on Twitter where you had the chance to win 5 of the Vice lipsticks. I retweeted the tweet for a chance to win and forgot about it.
Last week, I received a notification saying that I had won the five lipsticks and they were ready to be sent out. I love lip products and couldn't wait to see what five shades out of the one hundred I would receive.

The Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks include six formulas; Mega Matte (a super intense matte), Comfort Matte (a creamy matte), Cream (the original creamy formula), Metallized (cream with a pearl finish), Sheer (a sheer, shiny finish), and Sheer Shimmer (a transparent finish with pearl). Below are the lipsticks I received along with how I got on with them.

Back Talk - Comfort Matte // This has to be my favourite out of the five lipsticks I received. It's a gorgeous nudey pink which I really love. It applied like a dream and I was shocked at how pigmented it was. Like the name suggests, although matte, it felt very comfortable on the lips and didn't feel drying throughout the day. It also has crazy staying power and when it dries, it's not budging!Big Bang - Metallized // I wasn't 100% sure on this one at first because I am not a big fan on glitter lipsticks (they remind me of growing up in the 90s) but unlike other glitter lipsticks I've tried, you can't actually feel the chunks of glitter, it's quite smooth. (Although you are left with glitter around the lips after wear!) That being said, it's a lovely shade nonetheless but I personally wouldn't wear it from day-to-day but it would however, be great to wear as part of fancy dress makeup or if you're just feeling like you want to have a bit of fun with your look.714 - Mega Matte // I would describe this lipstick as a very sexy red shade. I think it's because it makes your teeth look super white and would look amazing with any skin tone. I did however find this formula to be a lot drier on the lips unlike the others.Firebird - Cream // This lipstick is lovely and creamy and it's such a gorgeous deep Fuchsia colour. Like all the other lipsticks, It's highly pigmented and you only need one swipe to get a full application. It felt really smooth on the lips and not drying.Pandemonium - Mega Matte // This is such a vibrant purple shade but unfortunately not really for me but would look amazing if you can pull it off. As it's in the mega matte collection, again it's quite drying but once applied it won't be going anywhere.

Overall, I am really impressed with these lipsticks and now kind of want to own them all! I think for the price they are amazing quality and unlike some other high end brands, they are worth every penny!

Thursday, 18 August 2016

Today I want to share with you the outfit I wore last weekend to a wedding reception. I didn't plan on buying anything new as I already had an outfit planned from items in my wardrobe but seeing as my fiance needed something new to wear, I decided to go to town with him. We went in River Island, initially for him but when we first walked in I noticed this entire outfit (minus shoes and clutch) on the mannequin. Now I have to admit, it doesn't normally happen but I fell in love with this look and knew I had to go try it on.
I find this style of neckline quite flattering for my body shape. I also love the detailing of the back of the bodysuit with it's slight open back and tie-up feature.
The trousers are super comfortable with the elasticated waist and you can tie it too. And although they do also have a zip and button detailing, I still found them to be comfy around the waist.
The mannequin was 'wearing' brown lace up wedges but I knew I had something similar at home, so I paired them with these tan colour wedges from New Look.
I also paired it with a rose gold choker which I am also obsessed with, I am loving the choker trend at the moment.
So considering I wasn't planning on getting a new outfit, I really love it! I know I'll definitely get wear out of all the pieces again!

Sunday, 14 August 2016

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant Light // I apply this little beauty after my moisturiser but before my foundation. It gives a slight light coverage to my skin without it being too obvious. It works well at blurring out any perfections. Full review to come soon.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge // I always use to apply my foundation with a brush but since using this RT sponge I haven't looked back. I use it damp and find it blends my foundation like a dream and leaves my skin with more of an even coverage and finish,

Spectrum Cosmetics Ao5 Blush Crush Brush // This has become one of my favourite brushes to use for highlighter. I'm a big lover of highlight at the moment and this picks up just the right amount of product and applies evenly to the skin.

Chokers // I didn't think I would get sucked into the choker trend, but I am really liking them! Especially this rose gold heart one from River Island!

Strawberry Water // I can't get enough of this sparkling strawberry water from Aldi. It's amazing! They also do a watermelon flavoured one (but I couldn't find a picture) and oh em gee, that tastes out of this world!

Saturday, 13 August 2016

I was kindly sent this amazing makeup/brush bag from Spectrum Cosmetics. If you haven't heard of Spectrum Cosmetics, which I'm probably sure you have. They are PETA registered and a Vegan trademarked cruelty free brand that sell amazing makeup brushes and accessories.
I already own their 10 piece essential brush set, which I am planning to review in a separate post.Designed to hold up to 20 Spectrum Collections brushes, the HALF/HALF bag is ideal for travelling your favourite makeup must haves, or as a regular clutch bag, with a secure zip fastening and inner zip pocket, this gorgeous pouch style bag is a multi-tasker.
On one side it says 'Half Unicorn' and on the other 'Half Mermaid'. Check out my Instagram here to see what either side looks like.
This amazing bag suits me to a T. I have a slight obsession with mermaids and unicorns at the moment and I can't wait to start using it.

Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupte 19 // This has been my go to lip product this week. It's a lovely soft pink shade with a slight bit of shimmer. Very wearable and perfect for summer.

Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil // I really like Simple as a skincare brand and was excited to see a cleansing oil in their new product range. It's such a lovely product and leaves my skin feeling amazing!

Tuesday, 2 August 2016

I've been a lover of gel nails for a good year or so now. I love how shiny and smooth they look and the fact they don't chip easily like normal polish. I was kindly gifted the Sensationail Gel Starter Kit in Scarlet Red. I have never used a do it yourself gel kit, so I was intrigued to see how quick and easy it was to get salon like nails, within the comfort of your own home.
Everything you need for 10 complete manicures is included in the kit, to help you create the perfect Gel Manicure, A pro LED lamp, Gel Cleanser, Gel Primer, Colour Gel Polish and Gel Top/Base coat. It even has lint free wipes, a nail file and a manicure stick to buff the nails and shape them.

It also comes with instructions, a card with the application and removal methods and a new bonus, 22 nail shields.

The set-up and application was very easy. Here's a little run down on what to do;

1. Prep your nails with the gel cleaner and a lint-free wipe2. Apply the gel primer and allow to air dry3. Apply the gel base & top coat and cure it under the LED lamp for 15 seconds (until it blinks).4. Apply one coat of color. Cure for 30 seconds (until it turns off)5. Apply second coat of color. Cure for 30 seconds (until it turns off)6. Apply the gel base & top coat again as your top coat. Cure for 15 seconds.7. Remove excess moisture with the gel cleanser and lint-free wipe.

For feet you do exactly the same, but you remove the silver plate from the lamp and place directly over the foot.

You can see I got a little bit around the skin and almost to the cuticle. Unlike other polishes, you can't clean this up with acetone, so my advice is to work slowly. Paint one nail at a time, and wipe off the excess polish on your skin with the manicure stick. Once it cures under the light, it isn't going anywhere!

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the ease of use and I think I will definitely be investing in some more colours. I already have a list of shades; White Lily (my mum has already bought this for me), Gray Day and Sugar Plum to name a few.
I would highly recommend this kit for Gel polish fans and for those who want their mani to last.